Safety-desk



M. H. LYTTLE.

SAFETY DESK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1920.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

INVENTOR M.H.Lyff/e A TTORNE VS PATENT OFFICE.

MURRAY I-I. LYTTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed. February 20, 1920. Serial No. 360,264.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MURRAY H. LYTTLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety-Desks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in safety desks, and it consists in the combination, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed:

An object of my invention is to provide a safety desk having a drop head which can be instantly dropped into a strong box which is automatically closed and locked thereby, thus safeguarding articles resting upon the drop head from loss by theft, fire, or othe cause.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that can be operated by a person seated at the desk or standing behind the same without his action being observed by a person standing in front of the desk.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is relatively simple in construction and op eration and which is not liable to get out of order easily.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of the device partly in section, showing the drop head in raised position,

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device, partly in section, showing the drop head in lowered position within a strong box,

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I provide suitable supports for atop 1 which may be of any construction desired. In the embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I have shown the supports as being legs 2 (one being shown in the drawings) and a solid panel 3 extending from the front edge of the top 1 along its entire length to the floor to conceal the operative mechanism of the device which will hereinafter be described.

An opening 4 is provided in the top 1 and is adapted to receive a drop head 5 which conforms in outline with the shape of the opening 4 and fits tightly therein. A strong box 6 which is of steel or like material is positioned directly beneath the drop head 5 and is suspended a spaced distance from the under surface of the top 1. The strong box 6 is securely fastened to side hangers 7 which are secured to the under surface of the top 1 and are connected by similarly secured end hangers 8. The strong box 6 has a central opening 9 which is inclosed by a clownwardly extending guideway 10 which is preferably formed integral with the strong box 6 or may be secured thereto by welding, as at 11. A weighted depending guide member 12 is secured to the drop head 5 at 13 and has its lower end disposed within the guideway 10. Studs 14 project laterally from the guide member 12 and are slidably disposed in vertical slots 15 provided in opposite sides of the guideway 10. An arm 16 is pivoted near its middle at 17 upon a support 18 and has forks 19 at one end adapted to normally support the studs let at the upper end of the slots 15, thus maintaining the drop head 5 in its raised position. The free end of the rod 16 is adapted to be detachably engaged by a socket 20 formed by a portion of a rod 21 which has one end 22 extending vertically toward the top 1 and its other end fastened to the floor as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

A lid 23 for the strong box 6 is slidably disposed upon lugs 24- which are secured to the inner sides of the side hangers 7 (see Fig. 3). A look 25 is secured to one end of the strong box 6. The bolt 26 is normally forced upwardly by the spring 27 to project within a slot 28 provided in the under side of the lid 23 to hold the latter in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. A U-shaped extension 29 to the bolt 26 has its end 30 projecting within the strong box 6 through an opening 31. A second lock 32 is secured to the opposite end of the strong box 6 and has its bolt 33 projecting upwardly to engage the slot 28 in the lower side of the lid 23 when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

to the side hangers 7. It will be understood that the action of the weights 34 tends to '.move the lid 23 slidably toward the strong box 6 to close the same and that the lid is normally prevented from moving in that direction by the bolt 26 of the lock 25 which projects within the slot 28 in the lid 23. A

pin 41 projects from the side edge of the lid 23 through a longitudinal slot 42 in the side hanger 7. The lid 23 may be slidably 7 moved by grasping the pin 41.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The device will be of great value to cashiers, tellers, and persons in like situations who deal directly with the general public and who have sums of money or other valuables upon their desk. 7

The valuables 43 are placed upon the drop head 5. The end of the rod 16 may be dis engaged from the socket 20 at will as by the pressure of the foot of a person who is seated at the desk or standing back of the same. The weighted guide member 12 descends, pulling the drop head 5 downwardly. When the drop head contacts with the end 30 of the U-shaped extension 29 to the bolt 26, the latter is forced downwardly out of engagement with the slot 28 in the lid 23. The weights 34 then exert a downward pull to slibably move the lid 23 into position to close the strong'box 6. The bolt 33 of the lock 32 then projects. into the slot 28, thus locking the lid 23 in closed position. It is necessary to unlock the lock 32 with a key 44 before the lid 23 can be moved to open the strong box 6. The pin 41 is then grasped by hand and the lid 23 is slidably I moved to open the strong box 6. The end of the rod 16 adapted to be received by the socket 20 is pushed downwardly, thus raisingthe drop head 5 until'the same is in the 1 same horizontal plane as the top 1. The

end of the rod 16 is placed in engagement with the socket 20 to hold the drop head 5 in the last named position.

A burglar alarm (not shown) may be operatively connected with the extension 29 to the bolt 26 and be actuatedby the contact of the drop head 5 against the end 30 of the extension 29. It is obvious that the device maybe modified and adapted to meet varying conditions with but slight structural changes and without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the foregoing'disclosure and outlined particularly in the appended claims and I therefore consider such modifications and adaptations as my own. I

I claim: 7

1. A safety desk comprising a support, a top carried thereby, a strong box carried by said top, a closure for said strong box movable horizontally whereby said strong box can be closed and opened at will, means for locking said strong box in its closed condition, a drop head associated with said top, means associated with said drop head whereby the latter can be dropped into and raised from said strong box at'will, lockin means for holding said closure in position to maintain said strong box in opened position, and means for unlocking said closure to permit the same to close said strong box, said last named means being actuated by the lowering of said drop head into said strong box.' 7 r 2. A safety desk comprising a support, a top carried thereby, a strong box carried by said top, a closure for said strong box, a drop head associated with said top, means associated with said drop head whereby the latter can be dropped into and raised from said strong box at will, means for holding said closure in position to maintain said strong box in open position, and means operated by the lowering of said drop head into said strong box for unlocking said do iure to permit the same to close said strong MURRAY LYTTLE. 

